ARLINGTON, Va. - s4story -- by Ed Lengel for David Bruce Smith's Grateful American Book Prize

The Election of John Quincy Adams as Sixth U.S. President, February 1825

Up until approximately 1824, the procedure to nominate a presidential candidate was complicated, but that year, eighteen of the twenty-four states decided to choose their electors from the popular vote, instead of the state legislators. Although Andrew Jackson won the tally, followed by John Quincy Adams; William Crawford; and Henry Clay, he did not get enough electoral endorsement for a victory. Weeks of political haggling followed before Clay threw his support to Adams—a "corrupt bargain" according to Jackson—but a White House win for Adams.

Snow covered Washington on February 9, 1825, as the House of Representatives convened to choose a president for the first time since 1801. Up to the last moment delegates scurried back and forth in hurried conferences; Clay called for order and the process began. Each state cast a ballot that was determined by its delegation, but a majority was required to pick the winner. Stephen Van Rensselaer of New York could swing the vote either way, but he nearly broke down under the pressure to decide. Deeply religious, Van Rensselaer bowed, prayed, and—upon looking up—saw a ballot for Adams lying on the floor before him. That "sign" made up his mind—or so the story went—and with New York in the Adams camp, the final piece fell into place. John Quincy Adams received thirteen votes to Jackson's seven; he became the nation's sixth president, but Jackson returned—triumphantly—four years later.

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For more information about John Quincy Adams and the election of 1824, the Grateful American Book Prize recommends Randall Woods' John Quincy Adams: A Man for the Whole People (2024).

History Matters is a feature courtesy of the Grateful American Book Prize. For more book recommendations and information about the annual award visit https://gratefulamericanbookprize.org/.